Page 65 - Spring2018
P. 65

teenth century, with keen observers continuing  type of unethical experiment by withholding   The American
            to point out the lack of efficacy and “painful and  treatment from syphilis patients to observe the
            fatal complications” of mercury-based syphilis  disease’s natural history—but that is another   Medical
            remedies.  However, when Hapsburg empress  story. 26,27                            Association
                    25
            Maria Theresia (1717-1780) brought physician                                       and the
            Gerard van Swieten to prominence to address  THE SKIN AS GATEWAY
            the rampant syphilis affecting Vienna’s military,   As already mentioned, mercury has a   American
            van Swieten (and later, his son) developed and  centuries-old history of topical uses. In the   Dental
            promoted a liquid form of mercuric chloride that  first half of the twentieth century, an epidemic   Association
            rapidly became the standard of care for syphilis  of “pink disease” (infantile acrodynia) swept
            treatment throughout Europe.  Olmsted and  across North America, Central Europe and   reportedly
                                      24
            Blaxill speculate that this concoction, which  Australia.   Symptoms  were  wide-ranging   were born
                                                               28
            came to be known as “Van Swieten’s liquor,”  and often fatal (10 to 33 percent of cases),    to serve as
                                                                                            28
            may have been widely overprescribed due to  and autopsies showed widespread destruction
            people’s fears of syphilis, and this overuse  of the brain.  It was not until the late 1940s   de facto
                                                                12
            probably resulted in substantial, unrecognized  that researchers traced the alarming condition   lobbying
            mercury poisoning.                        primarily to teething powders that contained   entities on
               Mercury stubbornly remained the “first-  calomel (mercurous chloride).  This discovery
                                                                               28
            line” treatment for syphilis through the nine-  should have taken place far sooner, especially   behalf of
            teenth century.  One of the most intriguing  given that research in the 1930s confirmed that   mercury.
                         25
            chapters in The Age of Autism delves into a  the oral mucosa readily absorb mercury.  Even
                                                                                       12
            little-discussed aspect of Sigmund Freud’s work  with this discovery, acrodynia cases continued
            with female patients diagnosed with “hysteria”  to account for almost 4 percent of all children’s
            and other forms of “obsessional neurosis.” Freud  hospital visits in one British city as late as 1953. 12
            himself noted that “in more than half of the   Beginning in the late 1940s, scientists and
            severe cases of hysteria…the patient’s father  clinicians suspected that multiple sclerosis
            suffered from syphilis.” Olmsted and Blaxill  might be an “adult form of acrodynia,” and by
            describe Freud’s patient Dora, who began  the 1960s, neurologists began to believe that
            displaying mental and physical symptoms of  mercury-containing amalgam fillings could be
            “hysteria” (which dovetailed with symptoms  the source of the exposure.  Two of the most
                                                                             12
            of mercury poisoning) at the exact same age  influential medical trade organizations in the
            that she nursed her father through syphilis  U.S.—the American Medical Association and
            treatments that probably contained mercury.  the American Dental Association—reportedly
            According to the two authors, “once you begin  were born to serve as de facto lobbying entities
            looking, clues to possible mercury toxicity are  on behalf of mercury, defending calomel (and
            everywhere in Freud’s cases.” Olmsted and  later thimerosal) as well as amalgam. (Other
            Blaxill suggest that the leading thinkers of the  articles in this issue of Wise Traditions discuss
            time, including Freud, “overlooked or ignored”  thimerosal and dental amalgam.)
            obvious signs of mercury poisoning because   Although the outcry over acrodynia
            they could not conceive of the possibility that  prompted the removal of calomel from teething
            female caregivers might suffer indirect toxic  powders in the mid-1950s, many other medi-
            effects through administration of mercury treat-  cal and cosmetic products, both then and now,
            ments to relatives with syphilis.         also contained or continue to include mercury,
               Although new therapies for syphilis began  sometimes in defiance of regulatory standards.
            emerging in the 1880s, including bismuth,  In the current era, skin-lightening creams are in
            synthetic arsenicals and, ultimately, penicillin,  vogue worldwide and are a widespread source
            mercury remained in sporadic use as a syphilis  of hidden exposure to mercury.  Unfortunately,
                                                                               29
            treatment until the 1950s.  Over the same time  many of the users of these products are women
                                 19
            period, leading researchers in Oslo (Norway)  of reproductive age or pregnant women who
            and Tuskegee (Alabama) conducted a different  unknowingly are exposing their children (born

            SPRING 2018                              Wise Traditions                                                   63
   60   61   62   63   64   65   66   67   68   69   70